From the Heart
by Shi-Toyu
Summary: It started off with little things, really. Bucky would bring Tony a coffee when he went to visit him in the lab, he'd pop into the supermarket down the street when he saw the cereal his boyfriend liked so much was running out, he'd bring home a flower from the shop he and Steve passed on the way back from their morning runs. IronWinter fluff


From the Heart

A/N: This is inspired by the prompt listed below. I will be doing this and many other prompts for the IronWinter pairing thanks to being invited to join the "Imagine Bucky and Tony" group over on Tumblr. These stories and more will be listed there as well as on AO3. Please check them out!

"Image if Bucky was the one who was the doting boyfriend like anything Tony wanted, he got no matter how outrageous. Tony doesn't really know how to feel about that because it's usually him taking the role of the overbearing gift giver, but he's being wooed. Bonus points if Steve or Natasha keep making fun of Bucky for being whipped!"

It started off with little things, really. Bucky would bring Tony a coffee when he went to visit him in the lab, he'd pop into the supermarket down the street when he saw the cereal his boyfriend liked so much was running out, he'd bring home a flower from the shop he and Steve passed on the way back from their morning runs. It wasn't anything serious, just little ways for Bucky to show he cared. He liked seeing Tony's eyes light up and that dazzling grin that made him want to cover the genius in kisses. Then Steve had made a joking comment about how Bucky should get Tony a vase for all the flowers Bucky kept buying him. One a day, these things tended to add up.

Bucky'd laughed it off, but the more he thought about it, the more the idea grew on him. He knew Tony had plenty of vases, of course, and even if he didn't he was plenty rich enough to get his own if he wanted one. That wasn't the point, though. Bucky just kind of liked the thought of getting Tony his own special vase, specifically for Bucky's flowers. So Bucky had done it. He'd picked out a really nice one, too, all cut crystal and none of that china shit Tony hated. It wasn't like he couldn't afford it. (Since he'd come back from HYDRA he'd been officially relisted from KIA to being a Prisoner of War and hello, backpay!) Tony was really the only person he had to spend money on, anyway.

The genius had seemed a bit confused by the vase, but brightened when Bucky explained its purpose. He immediately put it in a place of honor down in the lab and happily added Bucky's newest flower to it every day. (Unless he was on a business trip, then Bucky would add the new flower and send him a picture.) After that, it was practically natural for Bucky to keep buying things for Tony.

At the art festival he went to with Natasha, he bought Tony the sculpture of Iron Man made entirely out of recycled hard drives. On that mission in Turkey with Clint, he picked up a crocheted tie from a little old lady who kept calling him, 'dear Poppy.' (The genius had really liked that one and proudly wore the garment at every press conference.) When Tony remarked offhandedly that he felt like Chinese for dinner, Bucky borrowed Steve's bike to get across the city and grab some from Tony's favorite restaurant in China Town. As soon as the tickets for Neil DeGrasse Tyson's presentation in New York went on sale, Bucky grabbed two seats front and center.

Bucky liked buying things for Tony, being able to do things for him. He got the same rush from presenting his lover with as gift as he got from being able pull something down for him off a higher shelf, or move something in the lab that was too heavy for Tony to lift on his own. He liked being _useful_ and knowing that he could make Tony happy. Steve and Natasha could take their teasing and shove in the same place Bucky had threatened to shove Clint's bow if he didn't stop making that, 'Wch!' whipping sound every time Bucky brought home something new.

The only thing that gave Bucky pause, though, was the fact that the more extravagant his gifts to Tony got, the more unsure the genius seemed to be when accepting them. (Like that Doombot he'd managed to capture just the other week. Tony had been whining about SHIELD locking them all away for _months._) His brow would furrow, he'd bite his lip, and he'd give Bucky this look like the genius was trying to figure him out before covering it up. It was obvious he still enjoyed the gifts, always put them somewhere prominent they could be seen or savored every morsel or talked about the event for weeks afterwards, but something was definitely off and Bucky was absolutely determined to find out what. If he was making Tony uncomfortable, well, that was the absolute last thing he wanted.

"Hey, love, you working on anything in particular?"

He rapped his knuckles against the doorframe in a semblance of a knock before stepping fully into the lab. Tony had insisted numerous times that Bucky should just come on in, but he felt awkward about entering an area that was so clearly Tony's personal space without at least announcing his presence. The genius spun around in his wheelie chair with a grin on his face.

"Are you kidding me? I've been watching baby animal videos on YouTube for the past hour and a half. My productivity is practically in the negatives."

Bucky laughed as he cross the space between them and dropped a kiss to Tony's lips.

"Sounds like fun. I take it you've got a minute, then? I was hoping we could talk."

"Sure!" Tony popped out if his chair before grabbing Bucky's hand and heading toward the couch. There was a time in their relationship where Tony would have immediately jumped to the conclusion that Bucky was leaving him, but not anymore, not since Tahiti. "What do you want to talk about?"

They settled in on the couch, Tony turned toward him with one leg propped under the other. Bucky squeezed the hand still held in his own before he started talking.

"I just want to make sure everything's okay. I've noticed lately that you've seemed kind of…nervous when I bring you gifts. They didn't used to make you nervous." Tony winced and Bucky rubbed the back of his hand with his thumb soothingly. "I just want to understand what's going on. If they make you uncomfortable, I can stop."

Tony's lower lip found its way between his teeth and he worried it a bit before glancing up at Bucky with a look that was a mixture of guilt and trepidation.

"They don't make me uncomfortable. I just don't get why you're doing it." He fidgeted a bit. "You know I don't expect you to buy me things, right?"

"Of course I do," Bucky soothed. "But I like buying you things. I do it to show you how much I appreciate you."

Tony's brow furrowed in confusion and Bucky had to squash down the urge to kiss the lines away. Now was the time for talking, not for getting distracted.

"I don't understand. Usually I'm the one giving the extravagant gifts in the relationship. After all, nothing says, 'Sorry I fucked up,' like a new car."

Bucky frowned.

"'Sorry I fucked up?' Is that what you think all those gifts were about?"

"No!" Tony almost surged forward, but seemed to stop himself just in time. "No, not at all! You're great at this whole relationship thing! I'm the one who always messes up. I know you're not apologizing for anything, or trying to buy my affection, or anything like that. I've just never had someone buy things for me for no reason before."

Bucky stared at him incredulously.

"Love, you renovated your tower just so the team could live with you and you've never once even thought of charging rent. You pay all the bills for everyone who lives here, myself included, and have pretty much given us unlimited access to your bank accounts if we ever decide there's something we so much as vaguely want. You upgrade our armor and weaponry without us ever asking. Last month you decided the two of us needed a vacation and flew us to Paris for the weekend! You do _so much_ for everyone in this tower and it makes me love you all the more to see the joy you take in it. I just want to give a little bit of that back to you."

Tony's nose wrinkled adorably like it always did when he was facing a particularly difficult problem.

"So you think you owe me, or something?"

Bucky snorted. Only Tony could be a genius and still be so spectacularly dense.

"No. As far as I'm concerned, being in a relationship means no counting, no keeping score, no tit for tat. I'm not looking at what I do for you and thinking about what that means you should do for me. All I'm thinking about is the fact that you are a beautiful, amazing person and I am so lucky to have you. Giving you gifts is just the way I express that. You deserve to be spoiled. Is that alright?"

Tony ducked his head in an attempt to hide his blush, but Bucky saw both that and the huge grin that was stretched across his face.

"Yeah," Tony's voice was thick with emotion, "that's alright."

Bucky tugged him forward to finally press a kiss to his brow.

"So is it okay if I keep buying you things or do you want me to stop? I don't mind. I can always find another way of showing you how much I love you."

Instead of the lecherous smile Bucky had been half-expecting, the one Tony gave him was soft and genuine.

"I really like it when you give me things," he confessed quietly. "It makes me feel special."

Bucky gave into temptation and kissed him on the lips, keeping things slow and savoring the sensation before pulling away and tugging Tony to his feet.

"Good, because I actually already have your next present upstairs. You want to come see it?"

This time, Bucky got the smile he was expecting as Tony gave him a once over with his eyes.

"I think I might have an idea of what this particular present is."

Bucky kissed Tony again as they entered the elevator.

"You never know. It might still come as a surprise."

After all, he was pretty sure Tony wasn't thinking his gift would be the perfectly-cut diamond ring that Pepper had helped Bucky pick out.


End file.
